SHIPS IDLE

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20340, 25 June 1934, Page 7

SHIPS IDLE

EIGHT VESSELS AFFECTED AT LYTTELTON. Trouble Over Wingatui. LABOUR OFFERING FOR SHIP NOT ACCEPTED. Six coastal vessels and two oversea ships were idle at Lyttelton to-day through the deadlock that has arisen concerning the working of the Wingatui. Two calls were made this morning for labour to continue the unloading of the Wingatui’s Auckland cargo. When the Union Co.’s foreman stood on the rostrum from which labour is selected the men who were engaged in unloading the Wingatui on Friday, but were discharged for alleged " go-slow ” tactics, were the only men to pffer themselves for re-engagement. Their services were not accepted. The Union Company wanted fresh men before any further labour would be engaged for other ships. As no other men were offering, the other vessels in port will remain idle. An exception was made in the case of the discharging of frozen produce from the Canterbury Steamship Company’s motor-vessel Foxton, which employed two gangs during the morning. The Tees, which is outside the Employers' Federation, was also engaged in loading stores for the Chathams. At 11.50 a third call was made for labour for the Wingatui, when the same watersiders offered themselves for reengagement, and were again rejected. Vessels in Port. The vessels affected by the hold-up Include the New Zealand Shipping Company’s Hororata, which arrived this morning from London, via Suva. She has general London cargo for discharge. The Orari, from Liverpool, arrived this morning to discharge West of England cargo.. Both these vessels would provide about two days’ work.. The coastal vessels include the Port Whangarei, with Auckland cargo for discharge, the Opihi, waiting to load for Nelson and New Plymouth; the Awahou, to load for Waikokopu and East Coast ports; the Gale, to load for Wellington and Wanganui; the Wingatui, with Auckland cargo to discharge, including sugar, and the Parera, to load for Wellington, Wanganui and New Plymouth. At ten o’clock this morning there were hundreds of watersiders walking about the railway yards, awaiting developments. The crowd also .included a fairly large number of unemployed, who were hopeful of obtaining work, after all the union labour had been engaged. Had the ships been worked to-day, there would have been sufficient work available for the majority of union labour and some of the unemployed. "Just before noon two gangs were engaged for the Maori. A stipulation was made that they would load only perishable goods, including a consignment of oysters.